Harnack, 23, has recently become one of the youngest composers in the industry to have a piece published. As a talented young beginner, Harnack's budding career is off to a rocket-fire start—his newly published piece is only the first he's written.

The 1999 Saratoga High School graduate got his modest musical beginnings in his school's marching band, playing baritone saxophone. After graduation, he started school at Chico State University. It was there that choir first caught his eye.

"My older brother had been in choir, so I knew about it but had never tried it before," says Harnack.

He joined the Chico State Chamber Singers in spring of 2001 and instantly loved it. Not long after, he decided to try his luck at writing a choral piece of his own, with just a hint of a melody in his mind.

"The piece just took its own form and became something really special," says Harnack.

It took Harnack about four to five months to get what music he had solid. His choir director helped him work out the kinks, and his composition teacher helped him with certain technicalities. However, the piece remained only half complete for a while. When the grim events of Sept. 11 occurred, Harnack recalls having sort of an epiphany. In a way, he said, the tragedy motivated him to finish the piece. He began hunting for words that would fit with his music. Harnack said he knew from the start that he wanted his piece to be in Latin, but he wanted something unique that had rarely been done. One day while searching for text online, he came across a Requiem mass in Latin.

"I started reading it and thought it was really beautiful. I thought it would fit perfectly," Harnack recalls. He explained that a Requiem mass is sung as a sort of farewell at the end of mass. Thus, his piece, In Paradisum, found its form, the first line translating to "may the angels lead you into paradise."

In Paradisum received its premiere performance by the Chico State Chamber Singers and subsequently was performed by the California North State Honor Choir. It is being published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc. for use by a cappella choirs and is being featured on the company's website and catalog.

Harnack is a senior at Chico State University, majoring in music.